"Haineko--

And within her mind, fear exploded, not for herself but for Gin. A dozen fracciones was too many, too many for her, too many for Gin, there'd only been six that night in Karakura, and they'd barely survived.

She could not lose him. The mask of frivolity behind which Rangiku had spent a century hiding her heart had been burned away in the agony of finding him dying, feeling his blood pour over her as she ran to save him, and the days and days of watching him barely cling to life. She could not move on, she never had. It had been a lie she'd told herself. She didn't care. She wanted fun or money or pretty things. Even being a shinigami--she'd never let herself completely commit--she didn't care.

Liar--all she did was care. She loved her captain. She loved her friends. She would fight for any one of them, take a blow meant for them, die for them. She would not lose them. She would not lose Gin. Facing what he meant to her was facing herself. Finally, finally she had accepted who she was.

And Haineko roared. The sound reverberated through her. The will of her zanpakuto met hers, understanding shattering the last barrier between them. They would protect what was theirs to protect. Every uncertainty and weakness burned away in the flames of her determination.

--Bankai! The tiger's roar blazes and the world turns to ash!" Rangiku shouted and Haineko dissolved. A cloud of ash a hundred times larger and denser than it had ever been before rose up, churning above her in a tornado flickering with glittering red sparks that burst forth like someone had kicked up the charred ashes of wood to find the still burning core of the fire.

Gin took a quick step back as flames licked up her skin, not like Yamamoto's roaring fire, but a smoldering burn. It was hot, almost unbearably hot, to stand too close. And he was not the only one who'd taken a step back. The nearby Otros shoved their way back into the crowd.

The fracciones paused, but it was too late for them. Arms of the burning, swirling ash reached out, catching hold of each of them and engulfing them in whirling black clouds. Haineko no longer cut, it burned, and the fracciones died screaming.

He had never imagined this--Rangiku with a bankai, Rangiku protecting him. It was wrong in every possible way. He was supposed to be the strong one. He was supposed to be protecting her. Yes, she needed to be strong enough to protect herself from every stupid little enemy, but this--she already put herself in harm's way far too often. Now she was going to try to protect everyone--even him.

Even the vision of her, glowing with crimson flames, radiating enough reiatsu to crush lesser hollows, and force the Otros to cower in fear--she was a glowing goddess, white robes stained red in the reflected light of her power, arms outstretched, eyes glowing, and long tendrils of orange hair whipping around her in the heated gusts that continued to swirl around her--she was beautiful, powerful, awe-inspiring, and all Gin felt was fear.

She was dangerous, a threat to all these Arrancar. It was obvious on all their faces. They had dismissed her before but they wouldn't again. But she wasn't as strong as they thought--probably not even as strong as she thought. This was a new bankai, imperfect and unrefined. It could not protect her, not if they all chose to attack together.

With an effort, Gin held onto his enormous smile. "Anyone else want to play with my Rangiku? I'm afraid she doesn't think much of all of you. For some reason she doesn't think we're friends. But she's mistaken, isn't she, Bella? Slaughtering a few fracciones is just how we say hello here is Hueco Mundo, isn't it?"

Arabelleria forced a smile as she stood. "Of course, Ichimaru-sama," she said, each word sounded like it hurt her to speak. "We are so glad to see you've returned to us. Please, tell your friend, we mean you no harm."

Rangiku's arms dropped and Haineko's blade reformed. Her reiatsu faded and the overwhelming heat was gone. She looked back at Gin before she sheathed her blade. She smiled hugely. Her face absolutely glowed with triumph. She was proud of her accomplishment. Of course she was--she should be. Gin only wished he could give her a real smile in return.

"Told you, Ran-chan. They're glad to have us," he said as he stepped forward and took her hand once more. "You can relax. We're among friends."

His words reminded her that she had a part to play, and she forced the smile from her lips. She had an easy part to play, a traitor shinigami for Gin's sake and only for Gin. It would have been too hard to teach her everything she would have needed to know to pretend to be a part of Aizen's conspiracy. She was here only because she loved Gin more than she hated hollows and the war had forced her to choose. Still, a glowing smile didn't exactly fit her role.

"They were pretending they were going to try to kill us?" she asked.

"No, they would have if they could have. Bella was testing us. I suppose she was wondering if I'm still strong enough to run things here, without Aizen."

Gin pulled her forward, and together they hopped up onto the platform to face the fraccion who had taken Aizen's place.

"What do you think, Bella? Want to try again? They did beat me up pretty bad. I lost my arm--got a new one, but maybe I am weak now. You want to try me? You'll die, but if that'll make you happy I'm willing to oblige."

Bella's eyes widened, and she looked from Gin to Rangiku and back as her lips tried to form an answer. Gin's smile only grew.

Abruptly, she bowed. "Welcome home, Ichimaru-sama. Please forgive the rudeness of my greeting. As the temporary leader of the Arrancar I believed it was my duty to be sure you were still strong enough to lead us. Please forgive my doubt."

"Not to worry, like I told Ran-chan, that's just how we say hello around here." He walked past the fraccion oh-so-casually and dropped down into the chair she had vacated. Rangiku took a place standing just behind him and to one side, like a proper bodyguard. He wondered what the Arrancar thought of that. Did he seem stronger with such a strong woman accompanying him or did he seem weaker, in need of a woman's protection?

He frowned and shifted a little in the seat. "Huh--always expected it to be more comfortable, but I suppose Aizen never was much for comfort."

He raised his head and looked over the crowd. "So, what are we all up to today? You've gathered quite a crowd--must be important."

"We are choosing members for our next hunt," Arabelleria said. "We have decided to send a much larger and stronger force to Soul Society. They have had too much success against our smaller teams. This time we will remind them who is the hunter."

"That so? You're hunting in Soul Society? When did that start? Doesn't sound like something Aizen would have approved of."

"The Otros are hungry. We must feed them. Szayel Aporro Granz left a gate we have been using to allow the Otros to feed in Soul Society--they like shinigami best."

Gin nodded like he'd never heard any of this before. "Well, they would, but you said they're having trouble? You sure you want to keep sending them if the shinigami are onto your game?"

The fraccion frowned. He could see suspicion in her eyes. She had always been cleverer than most of the Arrancar. She knew he was always lying--she just never could figure out what he was lying about.

"We have a plan," she answered, meeting his gaze as best she could. "The Tenth Division is taking down the fake town they constructed and the Third is assisting them and providing security. They've taken out many of Otros we sent to hunt the divisions. They seemed vulnerable, outside of Seireitei and spread out in very small groups to work--but your ex-lieutenant has been able to intercept most of our hunters quickly, and very few have returned."

"That's Kira for you. He's tougher than he looks--you said the Tenth, too--does that mean you're planning on trying to take down Hitsugaya? That's adorable."

"I cannot imagine challenging a captain would ever be worth it. We're looking for easy meals. We are not trying to challenge the Gotei's power in Soul Society. We are going to make your ex-lieutenant disappear, and in the resulting days of chaos and confusion, we are going to pick off the Third--if you have no objections?"

Gin's grin didn't flinch. "Oh, please, if they can't protect themselves against you, what good were they? Might be risky trying to pull it off right under Hitsugaya's nose, though. He's a lot smarter than he looks."

Arabelleria's eyes shifted to Rangiku. "Thanks to Lieutenant Matsumoto's defection, the captain of the Tenth has too much work to do looking after his own men. He has left the Third Division lieutenant to deal with every one of our attacks and has not once offered any assistance. It is unlikely he will realize he is needed before our hunters have completed their mission and returned."

"Aren't you a clever one? Tell you what, if your plan works, I'll let you be my right hand man. How does that sound? Fun?"

"Gin," Rangiku hissed.

"Now, Ran-chan, I can't play favorites. Besides, lover and right hand man are two different jobs. No need for you to be jealous."

Bella raised a brow. "Perhaps your shinigami lover doesn't like the idea that her old allies will become food for hollows."

Gin shrugged. "She'll get used to it. I did."

XXXXXXX

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I just wanted to make clear if it wasn't that I don't think Gin or loving Gin is the answer to Rangiku's life and problems. I think she needed to recognize and accept what she felt. A lot of her behavior seems--to me at least--like a cover for a deep unhappiness and dissatisfaction. It's pretty telling that the first thing she did after Aizen and co left was to get the other two most miserable people she could find, Hisagi and Kira, and get falling down drunk. She never once discusses any of her own feelings with anyone. She doesn't even really acknowledge them.

I figured that this story finally gave her a chance to face her feelings and herself, and that combined with enough of a need--well, it worked for Renji :)